Introduction

A project management office training (PMO) is a group or department within an organization that identifies, defines and maintains standards for project management within the organization. The main objective of setting up a PMO within an organization is to ensure that all projects carried out comply with required external standards and follow a safe and successful process, with minor alterations from project to project.

Besides setting and defining standards and methodologies related to project management, PMOs often undertake other critical functions within an organization. They play an important role in strategic project management. A PMO is a centralized management structure for a group of several projects within an organization, with important objectives of ensuring standardization, decreasing duplication and leveraging sources such as process, people and technology.

Project tracking and support are two major functions of PMOs that take precedence during the process of a project. PMOs also help centralize project data to save time and efforts retrieving data when necessary, allocate resources across projects or across stages of one project, ensure consistency in project management approaches and key principles as well as increase accountability, productivity and return on investment.

This Xcelerate Training Institute Project Management Office training course will empower you with complete knowledge and information about establishing and managing a PMO, which will help you undertake a critical role of setting up and running a PMO within your organization, in turn facilitating growth and progression.

The Project Management Office course will also provide the necessary analytical skills and strategic perspective to simultaneously manage multiple large-scale projects from start to end, ensuring consistency, quality and compliance across all projects.

Learning Objectives

• complete knowledge and information about establishing and managing a PMO
• the required experience, confidence and exposure to assume critical roles in PMOs for the organizations, encouraging demonstration of talent and resulting in growth and development.
• the skill and capability to relate the project management strategy of the organization to organizational objectives
• the knowledge and understanding to devise and document standards and guidelines for the management of various projects within the organization
• the skill and knowledge to develop objective metrics to measure performance and track progress of a project
• the required skill set, experience and confidence to undertake any project management-related role in any organization or industry, thus increasing job opportunities across organizations and/or industries
• the experience and ability to ensure equal and appropriate distribution of resources across projects, thus helping meet budget, time and quality requirements of all projects alike
• the ability and a sense of pride to contribute to organizational success by increasing productivity and return on investment in various projects
• an analytical and strategic mind-set to track project performance and devise strategies to meet the desired standards and requirements

Training Methodology

Xcelerate Training Institute Solutions uses a well-balanced approach to training, comprising practical and theoretical aspects. Theory is delivered by a professional highly experienced in the respective field. The practical aspect of training is encouraged through trainee participation in the form of group activities, assignments, projects, debates, role-plays, etc. Relevant, well-known case studies are also discussed to increase awareness and reference.

Benefits For Your Organization

• Skilled and trained employees to partake in the establishment and management of PMOs
• Easily available and centralized project data
• Timely completion of projects as per the desired outcome because of the optimal distribution of resources (time, money, people, etc.)
• Well-defined standards of project management to ensure consistency in project progress and outcome
• Increased accountability among all relevant stakeholders
• Higher productivity and greater return-on-investment from the projects
• Project framework and plans aligned to organizational objectives, thus contributing to organizational growth and development in future
• Effective management of communication, resources, change and stakeholders during the course of the project

Benefits For You

• Complete knowledge, experience and skill to establish and successfully manage the Project Management Office’s
• Greater perspective and strategic mindset to devise effective guidelines, standards and strategies, thus addressing all possible challenges with negligible or no impact to a project
• Increased knowledge and understanding to devise a project management strategy for the organization, aligning the desired outcomes to organizational objectives
• Increased analytical and strategic skills to plan a project and ensure that the outcome and framework align with organizational objectives, in turn contributing to organizational growth and development
• Greater experience and exposure to undertake critical project management-related roles within and outside one’s organization, increasing opportunities and scope for career progression
• Increased understanding and ability to track the performance of a project and make changes well in time
• Enhanced skill set to ensure proportionate and appropriate distribution of resources across multiple projects and to seamlessly manage all projects simultaneously
• Increased capability, confidence and skill to use advanced, updated tools and techniques to manage a Project Management Office with one’s organization
• Increased understanding and skill to devise objective, measurable metrics for tracking project status and progress and measuring outcome

Target Audience

• Project management officers responsible for establishing and managing PMOs
• Other project management professionals who would be interested in playing a role in setting up a PMO
• Senior management of an organization who need to understand the importance of setting up a PMO
• Investors and financiers who could predict the success of an organization and its projects by understanding the guidelines and plans of the PMO of that organization
• Project sponsors responsible for sponsoring one or more projects of an organization
• Any other professional who would like to be part of establishing and managing a PMO for his/her organization

Course Outline

Degree of Control of PMOs

• Supportive
• Controlling
• Directive

Types or Frameworks of PMOs

• Enterprise PMO
• Divisional PMO
• Project-specific PMO
• Project management center of excellence
• Project support/services

Functions of PMOs

• Establishing project methodologies
• Tracking projects
• Supporting projects

Different Tools used by PMOs

• Program charter
• Work plans
• Governance plans
• Work breakdown structure
• Communication plans
• Forms and templates
• Risk analysis

Steps for Establishing a PMO

• Define objectives
• Garner sponsorship from management
• Define PMO tools and processes
• Map the PMO organization
• Engage and communicate
• Document and communicate monthly PMO routines
• Prepare a PMO charter

Benefits of PMOs

• Centralized project data
• Better resource allocation
• Higher consistency in project management
• Increased accountability
• On-time/On-budget performance
• Improved productivity and return on investment

Management Aspects of PMOs

• Communication management
  • Stakeholder management
  • Reporting and metrics
• Resource management
  • Staff management
  • Vendor management
  • Asset procurement and management
• Change management
  • Scope management
  • Risk and issue management
  • Training and development management
• Execution management
  • Critical path management
  • Financial management

Challenges of PMOs

• New process implementation
• Staff capability enhancement
• Project scope and sponsorship changes
• Resource issues
• Benefit measurement and realization
• Organization misalignment